When it comes to keeping your business secure in the modern age, simply locking the front door and hoping the burglars stay away is not enough. A single break-in could amount to thousands of dollars in stolen inventory or compromised client data. That’s why you need an in-depth building security strategy to make sure your customers, employees, and assets are protected at all times. We suggest business owners follow these tips to deter theft and vandalism in and around commercial properties.
Prevent Your Building from Being an Easy Target
Your first goal should be to make your building unappealing to burglars. Criminals look for low-risk opportunities that provide an easy in and out, so make sure your building doesn’t provide this. Here’s how:
- Keep the exterior well-lit all night. Leave a handful of interior security lights on as well.
- Maintain a tidy exterior with minimal walls or foliage to hide behind. Install lighting and security cameras in areas hidden from the street.
- Choose sturdy exterior doors with structural features meant to deter thieves.
- Install windows with robust, out-of-reach locks and impact-resistant glass.
- Lock all windows and doors outside business hours.
Install an Intrusion Detection System
In case your efforts to make the building a difficult target aren’t enough, you should also install intrusion detection equipment. Employ motion sensors, door and window contacts, panic switches, and other devices wherever you see fit, including at building entrances and strategic interior locations.
Audible alarms may be suitable in some situations to scare thieves away before they can cause any more damage, but many times, a silent alarm is the safest option, especially in the case of panic buttons. Employees can silently sound the alarm while the intruder still thinks they’re in control.
Thanks to monitoring services, the police automatically receive a notification when an alarm or panic button goes off, dispatching to your location as quickly as possible. With emergency personnel on site, there’s a better chance that the criminal will be apprehended and no civilians harmed in the process.
Put in an Access Control System
Carrying a set of jangling keys is very outdated. It’s too easy for someone to make a copy and gain entrance to your building or sensitive areas. An access control system involves doling out access cards for approved entrance into the parking garage, building, elevator, and secure rooms. You can even employ biometric recognition systems to further enhance security.
Access control gives you the power to add or remove cards, grant or deny access, enable or disable doors, and much more with easy-to-use software. This degree of key management makes it easy to keep unauthorized personnel out of restricted areas and thieves out of your building altogether.
Set Up a CCTV Video Surveillance System
Closed-circuit television, or CCTV, gives you eyes and ears all over your building. Surveillance cameras capture video, display footage on monitors in real time, and store digital recordings for retrieval later.
You might want to make a small investment in basic cameras that mostly serve to scare criminals away. On the other hand, high-quality footage may be imperative for adequate building security, in which case you want cameras that utilize cutting-edge technology. You have many options to choose from when designing your video surveillance system. A few examples include:
- High-definition video capture
- Night vision enabled cameras
- Wide-angle viewing
- High zoom capabilities
- Manual focusing
- Wide dynamic range
- Motion activated cameras
- Audio enabled surveillance cameras for real-time sound recording
Integrate All Your Building’s Security Systems
The final step is to make sure your building’s security measures are easy to manage. Rather than having a patchwork of devices that could leave holes in your security efforts, total system integration ties everything together, so you can control all aspects of building security from a single platform.
With this solution, the action of one system may set off a chain of events, maximizing security without needing to lift a finger. For example, when a motion sensor is triggered, it may signal a surveillance camera to start recording. Or if an access card has three consecutive failed attempts, you may receive an email alerting you of a possible forced entry attempt. In this way, standalone systems come together to form a fully integrated, synergistic solution that’s easy to manage and maintain.
Make Your Mid-South Business More Secure Today!
At State Systems, we specialize in helping business owners increase their security and life safety systems. You can achieve a highly secure building by following the above tips and enjoy peace of mind like never before. Let us design, install, maintain, or optimize your security system for unparalleled results!
To learn more about our building security services, please contact us today. We serve businesses across the Mid-South, including Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
